Species profile
About the ross’s turaco
Ross's turaco is a large, glossy blue-violet bird with a bright crimson crest, a yellow bill and face, and vivid crimson wing panels that flare open in flight. Turacos are the only birds in the world with true green and red feather pigments — turacoverdin and turacin — rather than colours produced by feather structure.
In Tanzania it is a bird of the western and lakeshore forests, including Mahale Mountains National Park, where it bounds through the canopy and gives a loud, guttural, far-carrying call.
Life in the wild
Behavior & relationships
Behavior
Bounds and runs along branches more than it flies, gliding between trees with the crimson wings flashing. Feeds mostly in the canopy on fruit.
Social life
Pairs or small family parties holding a stretch of forest; several birds may gather noisily at a heavily fruiting tree.
What makes it remarkable
Special features
Turacin and turacoverdin — copper-based red and green pigments found in no other bird family.